Rogers Media uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. Learn more or change your cookie preferences. Rogers Media supports the Digital Advertising Alliance principles. By continuing to use our service, you agree to our use of cookies.

We use cookies (why?) You can change cookie preferences. Continued site use signifies consent.

More climate measures coming this fall: McKenna

More federal measures beyond carbon price will be rolled out prior to Trudeau meeting with provinces

OTTAWA – The Liberal government’s carbon levy won’t be the only climate policy move announced this fall, says the federal environment minister.

Catherine McKenna says more federal measures will be rolled out before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sits down with the premiers in Ottawa on Dec. 8 to hammer out a full pan-Canadian climate blueprint.

“The intention is to put some of our plans out through the fall in the lead-up to the first ministers’ meeting,” McKenna said Thursday following a speech to the Canadian Climate Forum conference.

“Whether it’s through creating incentives for Canadians to have more energy-efficient homes or on the electric vehicle side, I think there’s some real opportunities to not only tackle climate change but to grow our economy. So you have to stay tuned.”

Trudeau upset some provinces early this month when he announced in the House of Commons that, for provinces that haven’t already priced carbon, an escalating federal floor price would be imposed on emissions in 2018. The carbon tax will start at $10 per tonne and rise $10 annually to $50 per tonne in 2023.

The provinces and territories have been negotiating climate measures with the federal government since last March, when they collectively agreed to work together to put the country on a path to meeting its 2030 international emissions targets.

Environment ministers from Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador walked out of a Montreal meeting with McKenna in protest following Trudeau’s carbon pricing announcement earlier this month, accusing Ottawa of bigfooting the talks.

McKenna told the climate forum the carbon “levy,” as she termed it, sends a strong and welcome signal of certainty to the markets.

And she telegraphed other policy measures that are in the wings.

“In Canada, we must accelerate the adoption of EVs (electric vehicles) in our cities by creating networks, charging stations and supporting new infrastructure,” she said.

Citizens also want more energy efficient buildings and homes, she added, citing both an update of the building code and renewed subsidies for retrofitting older buildings.

Part of her pitch: “In Canada, every dollar spent on energy efficiency programs generates between $4 and $8 of GDP.”

McKenna told the audience the country needs to grab a bigger share of the global clean technology market – teeing up an hour-long session on how government policy changes can clear the path for entrepreneurship and venture capital in Canada’s green tech sector that followed her speech.

Federal sources have told The Canadian Press that greening government operations, including procurement, is in the works, as are federal funds for mitigation measures to help communities adapt to a changing climate.

Infrastructure funding for public transit projects will also be rolled out this fall.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced Wednesday the government’s fall economic update is coming Nov. 1 – and he confirmed the annual accounting update on the country’s finances will include new policy initiatives.

The Liberal policy signals came on the same day the privately funded Clean Energy Canada issued a report and public opinion survey promoting a series of climate policies, including 62 per cent survey support for establishing a minimum price on carbon.

The Vancouver-based think tank commissioned Nanos Research to survey Canadians on a suite of policy measures.

The telephone poll of 1,000 respondents Sept. 24-27 found that 73 per cent of respondents supported or somewhat supported stopping the burning of coal for electricity by 2030.

Four out of five respondents supported or somewhat supported the adoption of a national clean fuel standard for gasoline and diesel, and 82 per cent favoured federal spending on technology and infrastructure to enable the provinces to use more renewable electricity.

However when asked how actions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels would impact the Canadian economy, a plurality – 38 per cent – said it would weaken the economy, while 34 per cent said it would strengthen the economy, 13 per cent felt it would have no impact and 15 per cent were unsure.

Welcome back, !

Almost Done!

Please confirm the information below before signing up.

{* #socialRegistrationForm *}
{* socialRegistration_firstName *}
{* socialRegistration_lastName *}
{* socialRegistration_emailAddress *}
{* socialRegistration_displayName *}
By clicking "Create Account", I confirm that I have read and understood each of the website terms of service and privacy policy and that I agree to be bound by them.

Sign in to complete account merge

Almost Done!

Please confirm the information below before signing up.

{* #registrationForm *}
{* traditionalRegistration_firstName *}
{* traditionalRegistration_lastName *}
{* traditionalRegistration_emailAddress *}
{* traditionalRegistration_displayName *}
{* traditionalRegistration_password *}
{* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *}
By clicking "Create Account", I confirm that I have read and understood each of the website terms of service and privacy policy and that I agree to be bound by them.

Sign In / Sign Up

With your Rogers Media profile

You may have previously created an account with your email address on one of our other Rogers Media digital properties. If so, you can use that exact same email address and password combination to log in to this website.